


Ship to Ship

by Roughnight



Series: You. Me. Everything Else Is Irrelevant. [5]
Category: Mass Effect, Sherlock (TV), Star Trek
Genre: Captured, Citadel, Khan has a theory, M/M, Shadow Broker - Freeform, The Escape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2017-12-27 15:15:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roughnight/pseuds/Roughnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>.</p>
<p>Fate seemed to have turned against him just as she had against John Watson. As if it was a mocking parody of the doctor’s life, Khan’s choices were taken away from him, too. He was not amused by it. He was, after all, the only entity who should have the privilege of Taking.<br/>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, I send my love and my undying gratitude to **[Noxtorious](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Noxtorious/pseuds/Noxtorious)** for sharing her magic and betaing this chapter. She's fantastic! I'm really grateful to the wonders she did on this chap! She's like the Mass Relays, connecting one galaxy to another so the universe will make sense in the eyes of the organics.
> 
> Nox, for fixing this fic and whipping it to a better form, thank you sooo much! ^^

 

 

~*~*~

 

It was infuriating. Dr. John Watson was the most frustrating man Khan has ever encountered in the entire myriads of galaxy. Khan did not fancy repeating himself but it would be fitting for this entire affair. It was crucial that the point be emphasized and punctuated. Watson proved to be more bothersome than the previous Starfleet Admiral and even than the Starfleet Enterprise Captain named Kirk and his loyal Vulcan. The human was frustrating in the way he gets under the skin like a leech that deprives one of alternative courses of action. He was a walking smokescreen, deceptively looking harmless while leading one to a stalemate so that he was untouchable.

 

Khan did not trust himself at this very moment not to tear limb from limb the human who sat on the floor beside him. He wanted to destroy but he rather did not want to find out just how much he could push himself. He did not want to execute an action only to find out that he cannot carry it to completion because a huge part of his complex brain wanted to spare the other organic’s life. He supposed that this was the heart of his dilemma. A huge part of his mind was intrigued and captivated enough to hold him back from committing any form of permanent damage towards the other man. One, even a lesser creature like Vorchas, could understand why the most dangerous and brilliant mind would find the situation most dreadful and annoying.

 

He had to evaluate his next course of action. He had to plan what he ought to do about this revelation. The neurons of his brain felt sluggish in their movement, as if they were puny fishes in mud ensnared by a net instead of the rocketing torpedoes they actually are. He was disinclined to meet a conclusion with John Watson practically breathing down his neck.

 

Khan did not observe the decorum of the lesser race. That does not negate the fact that he still felt insulted and angered. There were many things in his head now he could not name but at the forefront of his mind was the need to be practical about it. There were buzzing insects under his skin, a coiling snake in his belly that pushed acids up his throat. There was a ball of unease and unpleasantness tugging at his chest he can’t be bothered to name at this very time. He was grudgingly distracted.

 

Even with all the facts out in the open—with John Watson’s design and his motive for releasing Khan from the Starfleet’s captivity out from the rabbit hat—the undeniable pull did not waver. The mystery did not feel as if it was lessened in any manner. The curiosity did not dissipate. John Watson was still the man who held the most dangerous man in the galaxy’s attention. Perhaps it had something to do with the variation of insanity the doctor harbored and his nerve of steel that proved to be unshakable and formidable. The feat he has accomplished and the simple brutality of the massacre he had designed in the USG Ishimura was never something to be easily forgotten or overlooked when it was one of the most awe-inspiring acts any human in Khan’s knowledge has ever achieved.

 

At the heart of the matter, Khan may have expected something extravagant, a _more_ contorted scheme or a _more_ wicked design. What he had not expected was the sheer simplicity that motivated and propelled the doctor to defy all odds and come to the sleeping, convicted most dangerous weapon of war. Behind all the chaos was a glaringly ordinary drive. Whereas Khan felt gravely insulted, a part of him obstinately marveled that it caught him by surprise. It was something that should have been utterly obvious, something _painfully human_ , and he had missed it! John Watson and his design could have made him the exemplary example of human kind and it should have rendered him the most boring in Khan’s eyes but it did not.

 

“ _I missed it_ ,” he grumbled at the ceiling. “There’s always something.”

 

It was punctuated by a sudden, sharp intake of breath from the doctor who sat on the floor beside him. Khan fancied he could hear the pounding heartbeat inside John’s chest. Other than that, the room continued to be enveloped by a strained silence. Dr. John Watson could be amusing at times. He had his own set of irrational, unexpected gestures. Whereas he had loads of dirty secrets he was keeping from Khan, his face never failed to betray his own emotions. Khan ignored him this time in favor of staring at the white washed ceiling and mulling over other things more important that demanded attention. Laying there on the solid floor, he allowed the engines of his mind to roll. He still did not know what he wanted to do with the doctor so he allowed the torrent of ideas at the forefront of his mind to flood like a rushing tsunami.

 

// **_Time Travel_**. From what he could glean, the evidence suggested that the Vulcan Spock—or another version of him—and John Watson, whether by accident or not, somehow miraculously did it. They _jumped **.**_ He hadn’t heard of any entity, organic or not, of successfully accomplishing the feat but that didn’t cancel out the possibility ** _.  Necromorphs_**. Those Necromorphs and the Black Matter proved to be something that needed further investigation. The evolution of the human body to a monstrous, genetically miraculous and more formidable form was staggering. It prompted a more thorough second look. **_Asaris_**. Khan left them alone many, many eons ago but perhaps the time has finally come to exploit their biotic abilities at a greater depth ** _. The Picture_**. _Ah, of course_. The Picture. The existence of a man who did not merely look like him but was a complete replica was a matter that could not be passed up as coincidence. John Watson was not a coincidence. His awakening from his cryo sleep was not a coincidence. The man—he was not a coincidence.//

 

Something niggled persistently at the back of Khan’s mind. It latched like a bug in his brain, hid beneath the surface and teased at him like a slithering snake. It was something that easily slipped the forefront of his consciousness. It could escape him again. It was something he had already neglected to ponder about earlier and would continue to overlook had not the recent revelation about the doctor and his friend diverted Khan’s focus back to it.

 

The Time Jump. It was not a simple matter to begin with but there was apparently more to it than meets the eyes.

 

_Spock and Watson._

_Spocks and Watson._

 

He played back John’s earlier narration when they were in the shuttle on the way to the Citadel. Two Spocks co-existed in the same universe, in the same reality. Flashes of ideas and hypothesis and researches came to him like speeding bullets. He felt his heart flutter as he began building bridges in his mind.

 

_What happened to the dimension deprived of Spock?_

 

Khan bolted upright and sat completely still. “There wasn’t a loop. A loop did not exist,” he hissed triumphantly. He looked deranged and overexcited. He looked languidly at John who sat next to him and waited patiently. Khan’s eyes were lit with hunger. He felt hungry and of what he still did not know. All he knew was that he was a ball of adrenaline and heat must be rolling off his skin in waves. It wasn’t a figure of speech either; what with his enhanced mitochondria and all. John Watson kept bringing him Christmas.

 

He closed his eyes briefly and allowed his innards to quiver with thrill. He practically vibrated. He was giddy. How could one not be? He felt like a King. The ideas, the crazy notions and the seemingly improbable conclusions he has arrived at—probably the same one Dr. John Watson’s desperate yet cunning mind has come up it—his mind registered, held down and locked up. With a swallow and a wolfish moan, Khan pushed them all back and decided to finally address the most demanding aspect of the situation. He looked at the blonde doctor staring back at him. The man had not breathed or moved at all and waited silently.

 

It appeased something in Khan who was all nerves and was equivalent to a living powerhouse at the moment. But only barely.

 

“What do you want from me?” It was the same question Khan asked the doctor days ago. It was the same question that was never answered. Even now that he already knew John’s design for coming to him, he believed that this was a different matter. The mind could occasionally break odds and the doctor beside him proved to be an anomaly in Khan’s predictions and expectations. John Watson could die now depending on his answer—or beaten if the super human’s limbs disobeyed him again— and Khan admittedly thought there were half a dozen answers he could already think about and most of them would not spare the doctor’s life _. A way back?  To your time? To your world? My crew? Or Hell forbid, a stand in for the dead man?_

“I…” John hesitated then clicked his mouth shut audibly. He flashed Khan a pointed look, almost pleading, before he cautiously got on his feet. He looked beaten and determined. He staggered briefly and supported himself against the wall, one hand coming up to cradle the wounded part of his head from which blood trickled continuously and took a ragged breath.

 

If Khan were a normal human, then in the mundane human etiquette, he would’ve pitied the man. John Watson was not a man to be pitied. He certainly had not given any inclination that he would have appreciated it from any sentient being. In a way, there was something beautiful in his brokenness. In his valiant struggle to fend off the looming threat of insanity, he was broken and yet not. He was a walking, breathing unpolished titanium. He’d have walked along the other metals and would have still managed not to garner attention, devaluing his inherent tensile strength. Similar but different. The fortitude of his mind was worthy of recognition. Khan could not deny the undeniable and irrational pull he has for the doctor. It did not stop with the unraveling of the man’s origin and motivations.

 

Sitting on the floor, he watched as the doctor lumbered over to the set of drawers and gave the furniture a little shove. It parted from the wall and revealed an installed safety deposit box. _Ah, Of course_. Khan should not have missed it. Watson was a practical, suspicious man guilty of harboring desires and intent of freeing a sleeping mass murdered. Hidden locks and safes should not be surprising at the very least. Without hesitation, John punched in the numbers and the box opened with the dull hiss of the machinery and a sharp cling. He reached out and pulled a bundled roll of parchment and what appeared to be—and what Khan presumed to be—an _Omni Tool_. He recognized it. It was in its earlier development during his time with that abominable Admiral.

 

**Omni-tools**  were handheld devices that combine a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and minifacturing fabricator. They were multipurpose diagnostic and manufacturing tools as well as computers. Primarily, they were essentially equivalent to hyper computers. When activated, it could appear over either a person's forearms, hands, as an orange hologram.

 

Khan deftly caught them with both hands when John threw them to him without preamble.

 

“I couldn’t for the life of me operate Omni Tools during my first year,” the doctor explained in a rushed breath, “but programmed in that Tool is the blue print of the facility where your entire crew is held in their cryogenic sleep. Those parchments, they bore the hard copy of the blue print. I was more comfortable looking over them than some holographic image.”

 

“ _And more_ ,” Khan drawled as he was already unfolding the document and casting a swift eye over the contents. It did not contain a set of blueprints alone. There were scribbles and plans and occasionally, some day to day entries depicting the doctor’s thoughts.  There were mission plots in bullets, pathways, duct routes and subsequent lists of codes to bypass security. He skimmed to the other page and recognized the print of the USG Ishimura. “A master scheme existed after all. I was right.” He finished in a hushed triumphant tone.

 

“I already got it,” John said softly, ignoring Khan’s statement,- and he kept his fisted hands on his sides. He stood straight like the military man he was but he looked awkward.

 

“Pardon?” Khan asked distractedly, his sea green eyes still fixed at the paper.  There were entries about him, tabs on his imprisonment, history and deeds.

 

“You asked me what I wanted from you. _I already got it_.” John elaborated in a careful tone. He looked annoyingly in between what Khan would describe as resigned and determined. How the man pulled off wearing such as expression was beyond Khan. The doctor seemed _docile_ and Khan was surprised to find himself livid to see it. Something told him the doctor would not try to defend himself this time should the super human attempt for his life. Docile did not suit the doctor’s face.

 

Yes, Khan was livid. He didn’t know exactly at what. There was the fact that John Watson was yet again holding something from him. He was evading his question and speaking in patronizing undertones. Khan has had enough with mysteries and talking in circles. He didn’t want a vague answer such as an _‘I already got it.’_ The damn doctor just bloody brushed his query aside. Khan’s hands itched. Painting the wall with the man’s blood seemed like a good idea if that would put the nonsense to stop. With barely suppressed anger, Khan growled, got on his legs and opened his mouth.

Whatever he was about to say was cut off buy the sound of sirens. Khan halted abruptly and with keen ears listened.

 

“Shit.” John paled and winced but Khan rather thought that the man did not seem overtly surprised. “ _Shit_.” He spun into action mechanically, as if the docile man from earlier did not exist. He bolted the door closed, ensuring that all automatic locks were in place. He was enthralling when focused and his military training kicked. “Liara told me about it earlier,” he muttered. “They had contact with the Ishimura, but they weren’t on my trail then. This building wasn’t even registered. Damn Citadel-Security sure acted fast.” Then he was pushing the narrow bed aside with barely a glance at Khan, his own bleeding head momentarily forgotten as adrenaline kicked in.

 

Revealed on the floor was yet another type of mechanical opening in which John punched in a series of codes before it promptly opened. Khan wished he had time to wonder at the level of this man’s preparedness.

 

“The transport’s been set.” John explained without looking him in the eye. “Just go to the docking bay. Liara would be waiting for you. She’s an Asari—the one I met up in the Purgatory. She’s got blue skin—and she’s the Shadow Broker. She owed me so we can be certain she’ll ensure that you get at least dropped in the colony where you crew is. This tube will lead you to an underground settlement of some sort. I really have no time to explain now.” The doctor was on fire, the sentences almost had a run in which other but his voice was steady and barely frantic.

 

John was not wasting anytime. He was already rummaging through his drawer and picking up his Sig Sauer. It would be rendered useless when pitted against the more advanced weapon the Citadel Security officers or whatever was pursuing them was presumably carrying. John simply tucked the old weapon under the waistband of his trousers. Khan was not bothered by their pursuers at all, armed or not. He marveled at the efficiency of the ex-army doctor and his methodical actions.

 

John stopped dead short when he noticed how Khan did not move an inch.  He sighed dejectedly, rubbed a hand over his face, and then pulled at his hair exasperatedly. “The tube will lead you to safety. Illegal immigrants, usually the Vorchas will not bother with you there. Just follow the directions from the Omni Tool. You had better hurry; my contract with the Shadow Broker has an expiry and a limit. She’d just provide the lift.” He smiled sadly. “I know you want to kill me right now but keeping me alive would provide a distraction to them for you…”

 

Khan just tilted his head and looked at him with scrutinizing eyes. John gave him a suffering and forlorn expression.

 

“And if it helps,” John chuckled drily and without heart, “I think I would be more miserable alive than dead.”

 

They could hear the thundering footsteps outside their door now. Khan hooked the Omni Tool over his non-dominant hand. It shimmered briefly before it disappeared, camouflaging absolutely and it was as if Khan hadn’t worn it at all.

 

John snorted. “I suppose I ought to have figured it out that you knew how to work an Omni Tool.”

 

“I suffered a cryo sleep. That doesn’t make me an idiot.”

 

John’s brow arced down and he looked at Khan pointedly. He seemed on the verge of saying something but changed his mind. He shook his head, as if snapping the idea away.“Go.” John insisted almost frantically as soon as there were pounding outside his reinforced door.

 

Khan made for the escape route numbly, his head mentally calculating the odds and predicaments of this scenario. The doctor had a point. It was the logical choice that someone stayed to ensure the escape. The thing was, his mind was still reeling with the day’s events. He itched to browse through the Omni Tools logs and see what kind of secrets John Watson has hidden in it for him aside from the ones hand written in the incriminating documents. Getting caught red handed would provide more difficult should the items get confiscated. There was a chance even he could be subdued with the proper voltage from a stun gun. Khan did not know what comprised a Citadel Security but if any of them had biotic abilities like an Asari, the ensuing battle sure could get ugly and he did not want to damage the goods. Besides, there was the matter of rescuing his crew to think about.

 

“Somebody has to close the trap door and rearrange the bed and all that.” John said, rolling his eyes when he saw Khan’s contemplating face. “ _Just go_. Remember, go for the docks.”

 

 Khan had a foot hovering over the hole when John caught his arm.

 

“And Khan?” John said softly, almost fondly, his mouth nearly touching Khan’s ear, “Do try to refrain yourself from experimenting on Liara. I know you’d want it but she’s probably the only organic willing to help you right now other than me.”

 

Khan opened his mouth this time to give a well-rounded retort but John bloody Watson just gave him a shove and then he was falling down the tube.

 

He thought he heard the metallic opening clicking shut above him but his mind was reeling from the recent events and from the feel of the doctor’s breath against his ears to actually bother about it.

 

 


	2. Liara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
>  “Considering your penchant for deceit and destruction, I will take what I can get. No one can expect much from you…” Khan heard the “except John Watson” part at the end of her sentence.  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
>  Hello everyone! Thank you for all your kudos, comments and suggestions. I especially appreciate your patience and words of encouragements.
> 
> All mistakes and grammatical errors you might find in this chap sits entirely on my shoulders for I am posting the chap without the beta-ing skills of the amazing Noxtorious.^^ My head is yours.
> 
> I'm sorry for the delay!  
> .

 

 

~.~

 

 

 

 

Khan abruptly stopped on his track when his spiraling thoughts recovered and his mind finally albeit belatedly registered the meaning of John Watson’s words. The man thought Khan wanted to kill him. _It was ridiculous_. What was worse was that John believed Khan had the capacity to kill him at all. While Khan indeed can kill the short human in unimaginable ways, that he would actually go through with it was another matter. Had not John realized how many times he’d already escaped death in Khan’s hands or how many times Khan had painstakingly held himself back—how Khan’s own traitorous body kept him on a leash when it came to John? It was unprecedented how Khan’s limbs betrayed his mind.  It’s one of the flaws of having such a massive, extraordinary mind, he supposed. Its sheer vastness often required it to compartmentalize the parts for the purposes they serve with each resulting wing equally as powerful and influential as the others. This was no different from the way the organics attempted to make sense of the _Universe_ by dividing it to several _Galaxies_ which are then further defined by the groups of Planets that revolved around the sun –calling them _Systems_. All those Systems grouped and separated by the organics they may be were still just mere parts of the entirety of the Universe. It meant that Khan himself has deep down decided to spare the ex army doctor’s life. For a brief second, he wanted to get back to John Watson if only so that he could strangle the man himself for having such an atrocious, silly notion. The man really was one of the most unobservant sentient being in the universe.

 

Khan had to consider his options, though. His survival instincts were currently at their peak, screaming and pouncing around his head. He had his priorities like always. It was a pressing matter that he first secure the Omni Tool. The brief glance on its content made him realize the true value of it. John Watson never did anything half heartedly. Its value was irreplaceable. From what he could deduce, it contained everything he needed to know and possess in order to get his crew back. He simply could not afford  for the blueprints and for this particular holographic device to be confiscated of taken away by the hands of the enemies when he still have not fully reviewed their contents. He was also still inside a hostile territory, the terrain completely unfamiliar to him. He did not have the advantage and while he was confident with his faculties and abilities, he was not fond of failure. He does not take it well. He had to be wary of the technological innovations those silly, inferior organics have applied on their military hardware. They were great risks he cannot afford to set aside. He was alone and weaponless against an unknown number of several alien species who were quite possibly equipped with advanced armaments. Retreating had been the best option.

 

~*~*~

 

Khan found himself sprawled on all fours in the hard ground, his back against some metallic barrels. For a brief second, he allowed himself to leisurely watch the blanket of stars above him. Here in the Citadel, he wasn’t sure if what he was seeing was artificial or not. There was no way that the daylight he had experienced in this place earlier was not a fake, after all. There was no need for urgency at the moment. Besides, he hoped that his action conveyed the mockery to his assailant. It had been a long time since he last experienced a biotic attack. His blood sang in a murderous thrill. He lazily tilted his head and cast a cool glare at the Asari towering over him. Even in the darkness that surrounded them, the blueness of the organic staring him down was at him was noticeable. In the place of head hair, she possesses semi-flexible, cartilage based scalp crests that grow into shape. The structures are rigid and did not flop around from the night breeze.

 

It was a carefully pre-meditated, personal attack. It was obvious that the Asari has been waiting for him. Well, he indeed would have attempted to subdue her had he gotten the upper hand of sneaking up. While it had been dark in the Purgatory Bar and while he had his sole focus on John Watson back then, Khan wasn’t one to ignore minor details. Khan was certain that this particular assailant is the same Asari who had latched on his doctor back then. This was the Asari John addressed as Liara—the same blue skinned organic of the mono-gendered race who had the gall to touch John Watson in his presence.

 

Khan finally deigned to acknowledge her presence when he grew bored of watching the distasteful sky. It was also some sort of reward for the Asari’s show of nerve. She was still. Against the shadow that surrounded them, she almost seemed to be a statue with her controlled breathing. If Khan was a wolf, then the Asari who stood over him was a snake with a graceful stance poised for a strike. She regarded Khan with a cool, unfriendly glare. Her right arm was stretched in front of him, fingers splayed apart as she aimed her palm at Khan. She wasn’t holding a gun at him but then again, there was hardly a need to. She was already armed with her biotic abilities.

 

“It is not a pleasure to meet you, Khan Noonien Singh, but hello. I am Liara T’Soni.” Her voice was mellow and soft despite the harsh undertone. She obviously was not fond of coming face to face with him. Khan shared the sentiment. He sniffed in disdain. _These monogendered Asaris_. Even when they wanted to be extremely rude, their strict upbringing demanded them to pay some form of courtesy to their enemies. They would have put a bullet against someone’s skull yet still manage to talk to them in a civil manner as they say ‘go to hell’ in the most roundabout way. Asaris were known for their elegance, diplomacy and biotic aptitude. Liara apparently was a dull example. Khan really should’ve destroyed their Planet Thessia to smithereens when he and his crew had the chance eons ago.

 

Khan propped himself against the barrel and found a more comfortable position. He did not feel even an ounce of fear against the Asari’s soft threats but he did feel like allowing the prey to have the illusion of possessing the upper hand. There was no immediate threat. The Asari had come for him under the command of John Watson after all. If there was one thing that Khan has learned from the entire experience of having the doctor by his side, it was that John was a very persistent and ingenious human who was completely devoted to him. There probably was something in that statement that should have alarmed Khan for it meant that there was already a magnanimous degree that he trusted John but it was hardly the right time to dwell on sentiments. Khan met the Asari’s stares with his own sea green eyes, the corner of them glinting with mischievousness and provocation.

 

 “John Watson saved my life,” Liara said as she stared down at Khan with cold, unmoving eyes, her lips drawn into a thin line. “You’re a criminal, a liar and a cold blooded mass murderer. You’re a constant threat to the other sentient beings in this universe. I am most disinclined to help you. I’d be flaying your mind at this very moment if John had not saved my life and in turn used the favor I owe him to assist you.”

 

“Flay my mind?” Khan’s lips quirked up into a feral grin. “I’d have loved to see you try,” he said challengingly.

 

“I do not think that you understand,” Liara elaborated, her voice never losing the edge of remarkable patience and courteousness, deceptively gentle in contrast to the disapproving harshness in her eyes. “John Watson is a good man. I owe him but that in itself would not have been ground enough for me to risk being an accomplice to someone like you. I had seen John’s mind. I had been nurturing this desperate hope that you’d prove to soothe John’s pain, that you would be the remedy to his malady. It was a risk I considered despite the myriads of flaws in the plan.”

  
If there was any doubt that Liara had the super human’s full attention, it was all thrown aside now. Khan looked at her like a hungry wolf. _She had seen John’s mind?_ Khan knew what she meant. Asaris had the ability to meld minds, to form connections so that two sentient being could share thoughts and memories. It was possibly the very ability that saved the Asaris and their planet Thessia from the damage Khan’s entire crew could have inflicted. Some of the Asaris had managed to get into their minds and had seen their plans. _I had seen John’s mind_. This Asari, Liara, had literally drifted into John Watson’s thoughts and saw something Khan still hadn’t. That alone was unforgivable. It doesn’t sit right with Khan.

 

The Asaris’ abilities to meld minds were similar to those that the Vulcan’s possess, only stronger and more flexible. Asaris are after all equipped with the natural talents for Biotics. While other races could for a certain degree harness biotic abilities with the help of artificial technology and genetic manipulation, Asaris were gifted by nature.

 

Liara looked at him as if she knew exactly what it was that Khan was thinking and was willing to let it pass. “We leave for the Planet Elcor. It’s where the Star Fleet is keeping your crew. I drop you off then you are on your own, though I doubt you will be clueless as I’d hope. I am sure John equipped the Omni Tool you’re wearing with everything you might need to know.”

 

Khan decided to ignore her. John Watson, being the practical ex-army soldier that he was, was also one of the most cautious and most mistrustful human Khan has ever encountered. There were secrets he kept and information he held back. Khan felt most pressed to know them. “You know of the circumstances how John Watson came to be here.” It wasn’t a question. If the Asari melded mind with John Watson, she’d have seen and felt what John had during his time jump—if that had merely been a time jump at all. There was also the fact that this particular mono-gendered being standing in front of him was the Shadow Broker and it was an irrefutable fact that if there was someone who held the unrivaled amount of resources and information, then it was the Shadow Broker. Khan did not care how this Asari came upon her throne only that she may have something he’d want.

 

“Now why would I tell you that?”

 

Khan smiled triumphantly and tilted his head. Liara may be the one standing during this conversation and he may be crouching on the cold floor but they were of equal footing in this situation. His eyes glinted mischievously. “Because that hope you nurtured and that risk you said you were willing to take, they still have not gone into dust. They still exist and if you want to save John Watson from himself, then I’m still your best bet.”

 

Liara’s jaws hardened and the edge of her eyes were pinched. “He’s captured now by the C-Sec. Soon he will be handed over to the Alliance or the Star Fleet. It is too late.”

 

“You don’t believe that.”

 

“I don’t?” She raised a brow at him—or what seemed to be an eyebrow.

 

Khan rose to his full height and towered over her slender form. She stood her ground and stared warily at Khan even as he lumbered slowly towards her. “You’re the Shadow Broker. If you would will it, then there would be no secrets hidden from you and I, of course, am the best weapon one could hope for. You hold the instrument and I’d be willing to play to your tune just this once. You could start a galactic war with the mere use of your finger tips if you so wished it.”

 

“But I don’t.”

 

“Irrelevant.”

 

Liara looked at him contemplatively. Khan allowed her. She shook her head mildly. “It doesn’t work that way. The deal was only one off.”

 

“There’s another thing I desperately want most at this very moment, second only to finding my crew,” Khan drawled as he rolled his shoulders leisurely. “The circumstances surrounding John Watson’s dimensional jump,” he elaborated with a sense of finality. His voice was as firm as steel and was half whispered and half hissed. “That’s plenty harmless compared to the other lists on my itinerary which included experimenting on Asaris’ biotic talents, disassembling Mass Relays, studying the deadly Necromorphs to harness their full potential and dissecting the bodies of other sentient organic races. You show me John’s mind and I’ll save his life in more ways than one.” He proposed predatorily.

 

Liara narrowed his eyes at him and most minutely pursed her lips. “You get John out of the dire situation he’s now in and you don’t get to inflict mass genocide for a century after you get your crew.” Khan appreciated Liara’s sharpness at this point. There was never a doubt to his reunion with his crew. It was the deal the Asari’s been bound to do because of John Watson; that she would pursue to assist Khan retrieve his crew would always be an option. As the Shadow Broker, she probably was the most knowledgeable organic about Khan’s histories and motivations, not counting the old time traveler Spock, of course. That one’s an exception, if not a cheater. ‘ _Two time and dimensional jumpers_. It was not debatable who among them Khan would choose to experiment and pursue the matter with. Now that he’s been away from the good ex army doctor for some time, he was starting to realize how he’s sorely missing the witty human. It was never boring with John. He was the one creature who appreciated and even liked Khan’s presence after all. He was someone who was willing to get himself thrown in the Pit and experience the circles of Hell for Khan’s sake. He was someone who could be on par and handle Khan’s sadistic streaks. Perhaps Khan could keep him.

 

“ ** _Deal_**.” Khan agreed with a rumbling sense of triumph. His blood buzzed with thrill and his heart fluttered inside his chest. It was a good deal and as the humans would call it, was something akin to winning a lottery. It was almost unbelievable because he was the one getting more out of this agreement and the surge of adrenaline that comes with the full realization that most things are going so smoothly for him are intoxicating. He did not expect any less anyway. He was Khan Noonien Singh.

 

Liara finally did lower her outstretched arm, the one she used to threaten Khan with an aimed biotic blast. She let out a defeated sigh and her brows furrowed as if she wasn’t entirely sure that she has made the right choice. It was too bad John wasn’t with them. Khan imagined that John would say it was never a good thing to make a deal with the devil… except for John, of course, John seemed to genuinely love flirting with the devil and the devil loved him back for it.

 

“Should we seal it with a hand shake?” Liara asked drily. Khan cursed inwardly. These Asaris sure have a dull sense of humor.

 

Khan hummed. “That’s it? I expected you would want some sort of assurance that I won’t break our deal or attempt to circumvent it.”

 

Liara then gave out a hollow laugh at that. It was of dry humor and with a sense of dread. “We will be melding minds, Khan, if I were to share with you some of John’s thoughts. There’s no way of getting around it. It means I get to see your mind and see the lies if you did have them about the deal we just made.”

 

There was a flaw in her logic but Khan did not feel like pointing it out. That Khan was a super human meant that he possessed some advantages not only about his physical prowess but that of his mental stability as well. He could flat out lie to Liara and she will not spot it for what it was when he so wished to hide it. It was something he learned after his earlier transgressions with the Asaris in the Planet Thessia. He had experimented and even fortified his mind when he discovered their abilities to intrude upon the other organics’ minds. He did not intend to break the deal, at least for now. Even when he got his crew back, they would need to hide from the pursuing organizations—particularly the Star Fleet. They would need to hide away and secure ships of their own. There would be need for a grand preparation. They would probably stay silent for the first couple of years at the most. Considering that Khan, even when alone, could assemble 72 deadly torpedoes, though, it would be frightening for the other organics to think what 72 super humans can do when inspired.

 

Liara gave a cough like noise at the back of her throat to get his attention. She was looking at him suspiciously as if she understood the ploy. “Considering your penchant for deceit and destruction, I will take what I can get. No one can expect much from you…” Khan heard the “ _except John Watson_ ” part at the end of her sentence. He wasn’t entirely sure how he would respond if the Asari vocalized it. It was something he filed at the back of his mind to ponder about much, much later. Sentiments were beginning to have a Wing of their own.

 

“You don’t seem bothered about betraying John’s trust.”

 

“Oh, I’m quite certain he won’t mind.” Liara said mildly, refusing to be baited. She looked pointedly at the arm where Khan’s Omni Tool was snuggly attached.

 

“You share the circumstances surrounding John Watson’s time travel with me and you drop me off to the Planet Elcor where my crew is being kept,”

 

“You save John Watson _in more ways than one_ ,” Liara reiterated sharply, “and you don’t spread your vengeance for a century,”

 

“Let’s seal it with the much awaited mental hand shake, then.” Khan said loftily, with a resounding finality. Time was ticking by after all—every action was punctuated by the beat of the clock-- and the sooner they get done with their business, the sooner that Khan gets the things he wanted most. It was a fine thing dealing with the Shadow Broker. She proved to be reasonable. Khan had the niggling feeling that this particular Asari had already previously dealt with someone like Khan and John Watson who were both overwhelming and stubborn, respectively.

 

Liara critically glanced at their surroundings before shaking her head at Khan. “We need to get to somewhere safe. Mild melding will render both of us vulnerable. It is time I take you to the ship.” She indicated an inauspicious looking aircraft that hovered in their right. The color was bland like a mercenary ship. Khan knew better, however, than to think that it will be ordinary compared to its outer shell.

 

“Welcome aboard,”

 

 

Earlier at John’s flat, Khan had been given a choice but before he could analyze it and its content, Fate had turned against him just as she had apparently turned against John Watson three years ago. As if it was a cruel and mocking parody of events, his chance to pursue some intimate matters with a certain ex-army doctor had been taken away. Evidently, he did not find the circumstance amusing. He was, after all, the only entity who should have the right to _‘Take’_ and it was time to take the things he considered _his_.

 

 


End file.
